Windshield wiper



March 26, 1940.

c. PAURo 2,194,671

wmnsamw wIPER Filed sept. 14, 1937 sin r l l Il. r

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Patented Mar. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in a wiper for use on the windshields of vehicles, such as, automobiles, trains, boats,l airplanes and the like, and more particularly to improvements in a windshield wiper which is electrically heated so as to prevent the accumulation of snow or ice on the windshield.

An object of the invention is to provide a windshield wiper wherein a flexible wiping element is electrically heated so as to prevent accumulation of ice or snow on the windshield.

A further object of the invention is to provide a windshield wiper wherein a flexible tubular wiping element is employed and wherein the electric heating element is housed within the tubular wip ing element in such a manner that the wiping element retains its flexibility.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a windshield wiper of the above type which is of a simple and inexpensive construction, which is eicient in operation, and which requires a minimum number of parts. y

'I'he above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view showing the windshield wiper in position with respect to a windshield.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view, partly in section, showing the windshield wiper.

Figure 3 is a further enlarged sectional view, taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a\.sectional perspective view showing the various parts of the improved windshield wiper.

It is of course necessary, when driving vehicles of various types, that clear vision be maintained through the windshield, and in particular, it is necessary under certain conditions to prevent the accumulation of snow, ice or sleet on the windshield. The present invention relates generally to a windshield wiper which will prevent the accumulation of snow or the like Qn the windshield of the vehicle.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, there is shown, in Figure 1, a vehicle windshield I0 mounted in a frame II. The wiper actuating arm I2 is connected to an oscillating shaft I3 extending through the frame I I. The opposite end oi the actuating arm I2 is connected to a metal clip I4 which is secured to a U-shaped metal holder I5. A tubular wiping Nelement I 6, preferably of rubber or the like, is secured to the holder I5. An electric wire I1 is connected to a heating element disposed within the wiping element I6. The wire I'I extends through the frame II and may be connected to any suitable switch (not shown).

Referring more in detail to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the tubular portion I6 of the wiping element is 5 provided with a flange portion I8 which is firmly held between the leg portions I5a of the metal holder I5. The external surface of the tubular portion I 6 may be knurled to provide an effective wiping surface. A heating wire I6 is wound 10 around a fibrous core or wick 20 which is flexible so as to permit the required amount of yielding or flexing of the wiper element. The heating element and fibrous core are disposed within the tubular portion I6 of the wiping element and an l5 asbestos covering 2| is wrapped around the heating element and the fibrous core. The asbestos covering thus prevents burning of the wiping element but permits the,transmission of heat from the heating element therethrough to the 20 wiping element.

The asbestos covering 2I and the fibrous core 20 terminate short of the ends of the tubular wiping element I6. The ends of the wiping elementare closed by plugs 22, 22a preferably of 25 rubber. The wire I'I extends through the plug 22 and is connected to the heating wire I9. The opposite end of the heating wire I9 extends through the plug 22a and is soldered or otherwise secured, as at 23, to the metal holder I5. 30 Thus the heating wire I9 is grounded through the metal holder l5.

The wire I'I is connected by a clip 24 to the actuating arm I2 so that they will oscillate in unison. When there is danger of snow or ice 35 forming on the windshield, the switch (not shown) is turned on to permit current to flow from the wire I1 through the heating element I9. Heat will be transmitted from the heating element through the asbestos covering 2| to the 40 tubular heating element I6 so that snow or ice forming on the windshield will be melted as the wiper travels over the surface thereof. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the entire wiping element is itself heated so as to pre- 45 vent the formation of snow or ice on the windshield. The brous core 2U and the asbestos covering 2| are iiexible so that the inherent resiliency of the rubber wiping element I6 is not affected. Thus, a tubular wiping element may be 5o easily and conveniently equipped with the heating element of the present invention.

A specific form of the invention has been described inconnection with the form shown on the accompanying drawing, but it is to be clearly 55 l0 ble brous core member disposed substantially understood that various changes in the detail of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A windshield wiper comprising a holder adapted to be connected to a. wiping arm, a wiping element secured to said holder and including an unconfined flexible tubular wiping portion, a ex- CHARLES PAURO. 

